Tub
by elesi
Summary: Kakashi x Rin. Random drabbles.
1. Tub

Rin woke up with a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach, like it was filled with fluttering butterflies. Something woke her in the dead of night. Maybe it was a bad dream but try as she might, she cannot recall even a wisp of it. She lay curled up in bed, tightly hugging a pillow, looking at Kakashi's side of the bed. Still empty. He's been gone a couple of days and she cannot help but be worried.

Then she heard a faint familiar noise, something making a soft tap-tapping sound against the floor. Dog paws. Kakashi's ninja dogs. Rin quickly got out of bed and ran out of the room.

She found the ninja dogs crowded inside the bathroom, surrounding Kakashi who lay motionless inside the dry bathtub. They turned their heads toward her as she showed up by the open doorway. "Are you guys okay?" she asked, worried stiff for him and also for the eight ninken. They answered her by wagging their tails a couple of times but stayed huddled around the tub.

There were very few people that Kakashi would trust with his life and these creatures were included among them. She's grateful that he has them as guards and knows that he treats them as friends and comrades. "Can I check him?" she asked. They were strict guards and usually did not accept any orders from anyone except him. The dogs looked at each other, hesitation showing in their eyes. "Is he wounded?"

Pakkun, who was sitting on the side of the tub, facing Kakashi was the one to reply. "Yes." They could see how this put her more at edge. "But not seriously," Shiba, who was right next to the tub, added.

"I will heal him," Rin declared, stepping into the bathroom. The dogs exchanged glances once more and seem to come to the same decision. "Take care of him," Akino said. One by one, the dogs filed out of the bathroom.

She approached the bathtub and sat on its side, facing Kakashi. His eyes were closed and there were trails of blood on the side of his face. It was hard to tell if the dried blood on his hands were his or someone else's. She reached out to pull down his mask but was startled as he woke abruptly and grabbed her arm. He released his grip when he realized it was her and let her pull down his mask. He changed to a slumped sitting position inside the tub as she got a small towel from one of the drawers, wet it with water and tried to wipe off the blood from his face with it. He took the towel from her and started to wipe his hands.

"Let me do it, Kakashi," she said softly.  
"I can do it," he mumbled.  
"Let me heal those," she said, indicating the cuts on his un-gloved hands, now visible as he cleaned them up.  
"They're just small wounds. It's okay," he said.  
"We need to clean you up."  
"I can manage, Rin. I'm okay."  
"You don't look okay to me."  
"I just wanna rest."  
"I know, Kakashi. But..."  
"Rin, you dote on me too much." His words came out a little too harshly than he expected. She did not say anything more but without looking him in the face, she took the damp towel from him and cleaned off all the blood from his hands. He did not refuse anymore and stayed quiet when she went ahead and healed the wounds. She then stood up and turned away but he held on to her hand.

"I'm sorry," he said. She still did not say anything as she stood there for a moment then walked out of the bathroom, Kakashi not having enough strength to keep his grip on her hand. He heaved out a sigh, exasperated at himself. Having someone else who looked after him was still something he needs to get used to after years of being alone. He leaned back on the tub and closed his eyes.

From where he was, he can hear his dogs pace up and down the house and the murmur of their voices as they talked to each other. But he did not hear Rin pad soundlessly back to the bathroom.

"Here, Kakashi." He opened his normal eye to see her handing out a pillow to him. He took it and she just watched as he placed it behind his head. He looked at her hand, not sure if he would reach for it.

"I'm really sorry," he said. "I know you're just... wor... ried..." Kakashi stuttered as Rin stepped into the tub. She lay down beside him, cradling his head on one arm as she healed the cut on his forehead. He can see the green glowing chakra from her hand. Once the wound was healed, she massaged that area a bit and lightly gave it a kiss.

And in that hard, cold, cramped bathtub, he knew he was forgiven.


	2. Tub 2

This was the original tub story. Inspired by seeing all those sleep-inducing baby products at the drugstore….

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The house was quiet when Kakashi let himself in but he knew that Rin was also home. Soundlessly, he walked through the house looking for her. He found the kitchen and bedroom empty. The door to the bathroom was slightly ajar and a sweet scent was coming from there. He softly knocked on the door. "Rin?"

He heard splashes of water from inside. "Geez Kakashi, you surprised me," Rin said from within the bathroom. "You're home early."

"Are you okay?" he asked.  
"Yes. I think I dozed off a bit. I didn't hear you arrive."  
"Dozing off in the bathroom?" he asked from behind the door. There was a tone of amusement in his voice.  
"Oh, just come in Kakashi. It's okay," Rin said.

He lightly pushed the door open. Late afternoon light was streaming in from the small window near the ceiling. Rin had her hair tied up in a bun, sitting in the bathtub, covered up to her shoulders with foam and bubbles. She was beaming at him.

"You look like you're having a nice time," he said as he smiled back at her.  
"Mmm-hmm." She nodded as she covered herself more with foam and blew bubbles with her hands. They floated in the air for a few seconds before bursting or landing back in the tub. Kakashi just watched as he stood leaning by the doorway. Then she looked back at him. "Do you wanna join me?" she asked teasingly.

His eye which wasn't covered by the forehead protector narrowed mischievously. "Only if you would pull me in from here,' he replied. Rin laughed and tried to splash him with a handful of soapy water. "No way!" she declared. There was a big smile behind Kakashi's mask.

They stayed right there for awhile, savoring the comfortable silence.

"I'll finish my bath now," Rin said.  
"Go ahead," he said mindlessly.  
Rin started to chuckle. "No peeking, Kakashi."  
"Oh, right," he said as he straightened up, realizing that he hasn't moved from the doorway. The heavy scent of chamomile was making his head swim. Or maybe it was just the sight of Rin enjoying herself in the bathtub.

"I'll be right with you," he heard her say as he gently closed the door behind him with a smile.


	3. Day

There's no tub in this story this time. ^_^

**Bad Day**

Kakashi wondered why Rin was scowling at the strawberry jam sandwich she was snacking on. He got home and found her sitting hunched by the small dining table, absently staring at one of its corners.

"Hey," he said as he watched her take a bite off the sandwich then chew glumly. "Why the long face?" He stood by the doorway that led to the kitchen/dining area of their home. He did not get a response.

"Rin?"

She looked at him. He stared at her. For the first time in such a long time, Kakashi lost at a staredown. He looked away uncomfortably, glanced at things around the kitchen (there was only so much to see in that place) then focused back at Rin who was still staring at him.

"Rin?" he tried again.

She stood up from the chair and slowly walked towards him. She leaned her head on his chest and his arms automatically wrapped around her (it seemed like his arms were programmed to do that).

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he gently planted a kiss on her head.

Rin shook her head and looked up at Kakashi, this time with a beautiful smile in her face and said, "You know... you are the best part of my day." And then Kakashi received a strawberry-flavored kiss. And even though Kakashi does not really like sweet stuff, he thoroughly enjoyed it much like the way he enjoyed the quiet little surprises Rin brought to his life.

Thanks for reading. ^_^


	4. Doubt

Boy, I still love this couple. ^_^

Doubt

The doubt came to her sometimes, that unpleasant feeling that gnaws at her insides. It was back again tonight. As Rin passed by Kakashi, who was busily finishing some reports on the kitchen table, the feeling crept slowly through her, gradually intensifying as she stepped farther and farther away. She reached the bedroom, glad to be alone with her thoughts and yet not glad of what was going through her head. She walked towards the window to get a breath of fresh night air, trying to ward off the unpleasant thoughts, hoping that the anxiety would just get off her mind, jump out of the window and go away.

Closing her eyes, she tried to remember how it was when they talked about it the first time, when she confessed about thinking that he didn't love her, that he didn't want her in his life the way she wants him to, that what he was doing was still part of that promise he made to Obito. She recalled how he looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face for what seemed like a long time as she waited and dreaded for what he had to say. For a moment, there was only heavy, suffocating silence between them. Finally, he looked away.

"It would've been just like what you said if this happened back then, back when we were young," came the quiet words from him. "It would've been a lie if I let what you wanted happen, if I said what you wanted to hear from me." He sighed then looked at her. "Obito and Minato sensei's ghosts would haunt me to death if I lied to you."

"It was just... It's... Man, what took you so long? " she mumbled, a small smile appearing in her face as she shook her head. "It now seems too good to be true."

His hand sought hers and held on. "If I'm making you doubt, I'm sorry."

Rin's thoughts were interrupted by a pair of arms that came from behind her and wrapped themselves around her waist. She smiled as she felt him press her to himself, not letting on that she did not at all notice him coming into the room.

"Are the reports finished?" she asked.  
"Almost," he replied. "I was just checking on you."  
Rin thought for a moment, wondering what to say. "I'm good."  
"Are you sure?" he asked, sounding skeptical. He seemed to have an uncanny way of knowing when there was something she was keeping from him. She wondered if she gave out any telltale signs or anything. She gave him a firm nod. Whatever that unpleasant feeling was that she was having, she felt it diminishing. "Sure as sure."

He gave her kisses that ran from the top of her head down to her neck, punctuating it with one full on her mouth. Whatever that unpleasant feeling was that she had, she felt it totally extinguished. And she knew it was never coming back. 


	5. Morning

My stuff are getting shorter and shorter. Hahaha. And I got lazy with uploading my stuff from deviantart to . Thanks for reading.

Morning

What Rin usually needed to deal with first thing in the morning whenever Kakashi was around was the task of getting out of bed by extricating herself from him. Though it does not sound like something so difficult to do, it's actually not so easy. Whether he does it intentionally or not, Kakashi could make it difficult for her.

Sometimes Kakashi in his sleep would keep them all tangled up, trapping her within a jumble of their own arms and legs, usually keeping her enveloped in his arms. She hates waking him up because it's so easy to do and she can attest to how the slightest movement could stir him from sleep. No matter how deftly she tries to get herself out from that nice comfy place within his hug, she still manages to rouse him which then makes it more difficult for her because then, Kakashi would intentionally keep her down in bed with him in something like a soft gentle tackle. It would become a more desperate attempt for Rin to get up even though she's sure he's already awake because he does not hide his aim of making her stay. It's like a game or a playful early morning sparring session of sorts: wide-awake Rin versus half-asleep Kakashi. Their room will be filled with the sound of her chuckling as she seriously worked her way off the bed while he quietly (and sleepily) but determinedly made sure she does not. Sometimes she'll mutter something like "I'll be late for work" but Kakashi was the wrong person to tell that to being himself a yardstick for the tardy.

Rin was never really successful in her attempts to escape from him. Sometimes she would just relent to his insistence, staying a couple more minutes longer until he's asleep again or until he had slackened his hold on her - the signal that she can go. Sometimes he would let her go without putting up much of a fight, especially on those times he knew she had something important to do or somewhere important to go to. Most of the time, he just would not make it easy for her. There are times when she finally gets herself off the bed, there would be a hand holding on to her arm and a face giving her a sleepy forlorn look. It would be difficult for other people to imagine what that look is like but Rin could say that it's altogether funny, quite delightful, a little doleful and very much filled with longing for her. And with that look, she could not help herself but sink back to bed, into his welcoming arms.

And so, even though it sounds like something not so difficult to do, it's not so easy for her to leave Kakashi's side, not only because he could make it difficult for her but mostly because she herself doesn't really want to. 


	6. Note

Even when he doesn't mean to, Kakashi would sometimes end up sneaking up on Rin. It can't be helped really because he was more used to moving around quietly than making his presence felt right away (or sometimes only when he wants to). The first time it happened, which was in the kitchen while she was preparing dinner, she ended up flinging a knife in his direction. Either she was so caught off guard that her aim was not good or he was really good at avoiding flying weapons aimed at him but the knife missed his face by just a few inches. The other notable times he unintentionally sneaked up on her, he caught her either sleeping on the tub, singing and dancing her heart out, staring at his picture, talking to Mr. Ukki or (surprisingly) reading an Icha Icha book.

That day though, even as Kakashi soundlessly walked through the house towards the bedroom and can already hear her shuffling around from within it, Rin was not caught unawares. She peeked out of the door and bounded over to him.

"Hey, you're back!" she greeted gleefully. She gave him a quick hug and peck on the cheek and looked him over, checking for any obvious injuries he might have gotten from the mission he just came back from. Aside from just looking tired, she judged that he looked perfectly fine. They walked together into the room and he watched her go straight to the bed where she obviously had been doing something.

She noticed him eyeing the things spread on the bed: weapons, scrolls, her medical kit and her forehead protector. "What are you doing?" he asked.  
"I was assigned to a mission, Kakashi," she replied excitedly as she continued to pack her things. "Wow. It's been a long time since I'd been on an official mission. We're leaving tomorrow." "What?" he inquired. "With who?" Rin mentioned three names of fellow shinobi from Konoha, names that were quite a giveaway on what type of mission she would be doing: a high level one. He turned around and walked straight out of the room.  
"Wait, Kakashi!" Rin followed right behind him. "Where are you going? You just got back."  
"I'm going to talk to the Hokage to take you out of the mission," he said.  
"What? Why?" she asked while she walked beside him. Kakashi did not answer but just kept walking. "They need a medic-nin, Kakashi. There isn't anyone available but me."  
"Then I'll have her include me in the mission."  
"What's this about?" She asked as she held on to his arm.  
He stopped walking and faced her. "I don't want you going out on anymore missions," he declared.  
"You can't... I'm..." Rin sighed. "I'm going. Don't do this anymore. I can protect myself. That's just what this is all about, right?"  
"Rin, I damn well know you can protect yourself," Kakashi said, his voice sounding like he's straining not to be angry. "You've got - what? - ten years worth of being away. More? I don't even wanna count it."  
"Then what?" It was Rin who was getting mad. "I'm a shinobi too. Just like you. Why shouldn't I go?"  
"Why? Well, last time I checked it wasn't me who was just supposed to be going on a mission and then did not come back."

Rin was silenced for a moment by what Kakashi said. "It's not like that anymore," she said, her tone softening. "I'm coming back this time. I've got all the reason to." Kakashi just looked at her, not blankly but more with an expression in his eye that she cannot read. "I need to think," he said. He was out of the door before she can say or do anything else.

The night has deepened before Kakashi returned. Rin waited for him in bed but he seemed to be dawdling around, taking his time, maybe still cooling his head. They've been together for a couple of months, right from when she got back to their village, and things had been going better than she expected. The little incident earlier was the first time for her to somehow see how her disappearance or supposed death had affected Kakashi. It touched and saddened her at the same time. She saw how much he was emotionally scarred by Obito's death, saw how he struggled after what happened and saw him start to move on. She realized that the same things might have happened when she disappeared.

Rin was starting to think that he would stay out and sleep in the couch when the door finally opened and Kakashi came in. He closed the door softly behind him and stood for one whole minute in the darkness. She totally did not expect him to lay beside her and pull her close but that was what he did.

"Where've you been?" she asked after what she felt was a couple of minutes of uneasy silence between them.  
"Thinking," was his short reply, though it didn't really answer her question. Even with that one-sentence answer, she can detect that his mood has lightened.  
"Hmmm. Where've you been thinking?"  
"Around. Just around." He pulled her even closer, breathing her in.  
She gathered a bit of courage to tell him that she was still going. The darkness made it easier for her to talk. "Kakashi, just let me go this one last time. When I get back, I'd personally ask Godaime to not send me out anymore - if that's what you want."  
"You don't have to do that," he said, his voice sounding muffled since he had buried his face upon her hair. "You can go. Just come back."  
"I will."  
"Good. Anyway, I'd look for you and drag you back here if you don't."  
Rin chuckled at his statement. "I'll come back. Didn't I say that I have all the reason to."  
"And I'm one of the reasons, I would assume," he teased.  
"You're all the reason, you idiot."

Rin had to leave at daybreak. Kakashi did not have the heart to see her go. Knowing he was awake, she allowed him to pretend to be asleep. "I'll see you soon," she whispered.

Even if he did not want to count the days, he was well-aware how long Rin had been gone. When information that a particular team of ninjas had returned reached him, he wasted no time to seek them out. He eventually found himself walking the familiar halls of the hospital. He ascended a flight of stairs, meeting a familiar pink-haired kunoichi along the way who mumbled nothing but a room number as they walked past each other. He now knew exactly where to find her and as he approached the room, a nurse walked out from it, saw and recognized him and greeted him a good day. He nod his head slightly as acknowledgement and went straight into the room the nurse just exited.

Rin was alone in the room, occupying one of the two beds. She sat by the edge of that bed, looking down at her feet which she was swinging like a kid. She looked up to see who her visitor was.

"Hey," she greeted.  
"Hey," he greeted back. He walked towards her eyeing one of her legs which was bandaged, the only obvious injury she has.  
"Broken?" he asked.  
"Sliced," she replied. "But all stitched up now." She winked, showing him that she's alright.

The nurse came back to the room to tell Rin she was all free to go if she wanted but the room was empty when she came in. She checked the number on the door to make sure she was in the right room and she was. She noticed the clipboard with Rin's monitoring sheet on the bed. She took it and checked the note on the paper. She should have been somehow put off by the impertinence of what was done but instead, she found it sweet.

The note read:

I took her home.  
Signed: Kakashi Hatake.

***

***

^_^ 


End file.
